JPH0749550Y2 - Trackball - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a track ball that is provided in a display device such as a CRT display and controls the position of a cursor on a screen.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, for example, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 64-24447, by manually rotating a ball protruding from the upper surface of the housing, the cursor on the display screen is moved to a desired coordinate or menu, and the coordinate is moved. An XY coordinate input device for inputting a menu or a so-called trackball has been proposed.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a conventional track ball of this type.

As shown in FIG. 7, this conventional track ball has a casing 32 that forms an outer shell and has a circular hole 31 on the top surface, and a casing 32.
A ball 33 that is stored inside 32 and partially protrudes from the circular hole 31
And a pair of rotating bodies 34, 35 arranged so as to be orthogonal to each other and rotating in association with the rotation of the ball 33, and a detection unit such as an encoder for detecting the amount of rotation of each of these rotating bodies 34, 35. It has 36 and 37. The rotating body 34 described above is
The rotary roller 38 is in contact with the lower surface of the ball 33, and the rotary shaft 39 and the like that rotate integrally with the rotary roller 38. 39a etc.

In this conventional track ball, the circular hole 31 of the housing 32 is
When the ball 33 protruding from the hand is rotated by hand, the x-axis direction component and the y-axis direction component of this rotation amount are transmitted to the rotating bodies 34, 35 which are orthogonal to each other, and the rotation amounts of these rotating bodies 34, 35 are transmitted. Detected by the detectors 36 and 37, pulse signals are output respectively. Therefore, by counting these pulse signals, the cursor (not shown) on the display connected to the track ball can be moved to a desired position. Then, when the cursor moves to a desired coordinate or menu, the rotation of the ball 33 is stopped and an input switch (not shown) is thrown in to perform coordinate input and menu selection.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

By the way, in recent years, an attempt to attach a track ball to the key arrangement surface of a keyboard has been proposed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-135423. In such a case, it is necessary to make the diameter of the ball as small as possible due to the storage space. However, if the diameter of the ball is made small in the conventional track ball described above, the cursor is moved from one end to the other end of the screen. Since the ball has to be rotated many times, there is a problem that the operability is deteriorated. Therefore, it is conceivable to perform a constant-magnification process that increases the resolution of the pulse signal output from the detection unit, and move the cursor from one end of the screen to the other with a small rotation of the ball. Therefore, there is a problem that the operability is deteriorated from another viewpoint.

Further, in the above-mentioned conventional track ball, the input switch for selecting the menu is provided mechanically independent from the ball, so that the ball is rotated to make the cursor the display object. After moving to the menu, a two-step operation procedure is required, in which the input switch is operated by removing the hand from the ball, which also causes a problem of poor operability.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a trackball having a small size and excellent operability.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a housing having an opening, a ball housed in the housing and a part of which protrudes from the opening, arranged at right angles to each other and interlocked with rotation of the ball. In the track ball, which is provided with a pair of rotating bodies that rotate and a detecting unit that detects the amount of rotation of these rotating bodies, and that controls the position of the cursor on the screen by rotating the ball in any direction, A multi-stage push button switch is provided which switches the switch in a plurality of stages by moving the ball in the vertical direction, and the mode switching that lowers the resolution of the detection signal output from the detecting unit by the switching operation on the front side of the push button switch. A signal is generated, and a switching signal at the final stage generates a select signal for selecting the menu according to the position of the cursor. It is characterized in that it has urchin configuration.

[Action]

When the ball is rotated while the push button switch is off, the cursor reacts sensitively to the rotation of the ball, and the cursor can be quickly moved to the vicinity of the target position.
On the other hand, when the ball is rotated by pressing the ball and turning on the front side switch of the push button switch, the movement of the cursor becomes dull with respect to the rotation of the ball, and the cursor can be accurately positioned to the final target point. it can. Furthermore, by pressing the ball to turn on the switch at the final end of the push button switch, it is possible to select a menu according to the position of the cursor whose movement is controlled.

〔Example〕

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a track ball according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an essential part thereof, FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a biasing means provided in the track ball, and FIG. It is sectional drawing of the push button switch with which a track ball is equipped.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the trackball according to the present embodiment is provided with a top plate 2 (not shown in FIG. 1) having a circular hole 1 and a casing attached to the lower surface of the top plate 2. Body 3
The balls 4 housed in the housing 3 and partially protruding from the circular hole 1, the pair of rollers 5 and 6 that rotate in association with the rotation of the balls 4, and the rotation amounts of the rollers 5 and 6 are Detecting units 7 and 8 are provided, an urging ball 9 that elastically urges the ball 4 in the directions of both rollers 5 and 6, and a push-button switch 11 arranged directly below the ball 4 via a small ball 10. There is.

The top plate 2 forms a part of the outer shell of the keyboard, and the operator can continuously perform the keying operation of a key (not shown) and the rotating operation of the ball 4. A hemispherical recess 12 is formed in the center of the housing 3, and the ball 4 is housed in the recess 12 with a slight clearance.

The rollers 5 and 6 are axially supported by the housing 3 so as to be at right angles to each other, and the detection units 7 and 8 connected to the ends of the rollers 5 and 6 are magnetic and optical. It consists of a mechanical or mechanical encoder.

As is apparent from FIG. 3, the biasing ball 9 is disposed in the insertion hole 13 formed in the housing 3, and is biased in the direction of contacting the ball 4 by the elastic force from the coil spring 14. Has been done. A stopper projection 15 is formed at the opening end of the insertion hole 13, and the biasing ball 9 collides with the projection 15 to restrict the amount of projection from the insertion hole 13. The axes of the rollers 5 and 6 and the center of the biasing ball 9 are arranged in the same plane passing through the center O of the ball 4.

As shown in FIG. 4, the push button switch 11 has a center contact.
A box-shaped case 19 provided with 16 and the first and second fixed contacts 17 and 18, a dome-shaped first movable contact 20 that contacts the first fixed contact 17, and a dome-shaped first contact that contacts the second fixed contact 18. Two movable contacts 21, a spacer 23 provided between the first and second movable contacts 20, 21 and having a hole 22 in the center, a waterproof sheet 24 for covering the upper open end of the case 19, and the waterproof sheet 24. Case
A lid plate 25 fixed to 19 and the small ball 10 is a lid plate.
It is in contact with the waterproof sheet 24 through a central hole 26 formed in 25. In addition, the push button switch 11 configured as described above,
The terminals 27 protruding from the case 19 are mounted on a printed circuit board 28 by soldering, and the printed circuit board 28 is fixed to the lower surface of the housing 3 (see FIG. 2).

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.

When the ball 4 protruding from the circular hole 1 formed in the top plate 2 of the keyboard is rotated by hand, the x-axis direction component and the y-axis direction component of this rotation amount are transmitted to the rollers 5 and 6 which are orthogonal to each other. The rotation amounts of these rollers 5, 6 are detected by the detection units 7, 8. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5A, the axes of the rollers 5 and 6 and the center of the biasing ball 9 are in the same plane passing through the center O of the ball 4, and the ball 4 is the biasing ball 9. Since it comes into contact with both rollers 5 and 6 by receiving an elastic force in the direction of arrow from, the rotation of the ball 4 is reliably transmitted to both rollers 5 and 6 without slipping. Then, when the pulse signals output from both the detection units 7 and 8 are counted by a microcomputer (not shown),
On the display 29 shown in FIG. 6, the cursor 30 is the ball 4
Move according to the rotation of.

During the above operation, the push button switch 11 is in the off state, and in this case, the movement amount of the cursor 30 with respect to the rotation amount of the ball 4 is large, in other words, the resolution is set high.
For example, the cursor 30 can be moved from one end of the display 29 to the other end by merely rotating the ball 4 about 1/4. Therefore, when the cursor 30 at the point A in FIG. 6 is moved to the final target point C, the cursor 30 can be quickly moved to the point B near the point C.

When the cursor 30 is moved to the point B in this way, the rotation of the ball 4 is stopped, and then the ball 4 is pushed down. When the ball 4 descends, the small ball 10 also descends in conjunction with it, so that the first movable contact 20 is displaced downward through the waterproof sheet 24 of the push button switch 11 shown in FIG. 4, and this displacement amount is a predetermined value. When it exceeds, the first movable contact 20 is inverted and comes into contact with the second movable contact 21, and the first switch switching operation is performed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the center O of the ball 4 is
Is lowered by t _{1 with} respect to the plane including the axes of the rollers 5 and 6 and the center of the biasing ball 9 (one-dot chain line in the figure), but the elastic force of the biasing ball 9 causes a slight horizontal movement. To be moved,
The contact between the ball 4 and both rollers 5, 6 is maintained.

When the first switch switching operation of the push button switch 11 is performed in this way, a mode switching signal is generated, and the microcomputer performs a multiplying process for thinning out the signals output from both the detection units 7 and 8 based on this signal. To do. As a result, the amount of movement of the cursor 30 with respect to the amount of rotation of the ball 4 becomes small, in other words, the resolution is set low and the movement of the cursor 30 becomes slow. Therefore, when the ball 4 is rotated in this state, the cursor 30 at the point B can be delicately controlled and the cursor 30 can be accurately moved to the point C which is the final target point.

When the cursor 30 is moved to the point C, the rotation of the ball 4 is stopped and the ball 4 is further pushed down. Then, the second movable contact 21 of the push button switch 11 is displaced downward by the first movable contact 20, and when this displacement amount exceeds a predetermined value, the second movable contact 21 is also inverted and comes into contact with the central contact 16. , The second switch switching operation is performed and the menu at the point C is selected. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5 (c), the center O of the ball 4 is further lowered (t ₂ ) with respect to the plane including the axes of the rollers 5 and 6 and the center of the biasing ball 9, but Since the biasing ball 9 comes into contact with the projection 15 and does not move forward any further (see the broken line in FIG. 3),
The ball 4 descends while being separated from both the rollers 5 and 6 and the biasing ball 9. Therefore, both rollers 5 and 6 do not rotate in the process of performing the second switch switching operation, in other words, selecting the menu of point C while keeping the cursor 30 at point C which is the final target point. You can

In the above embodiment, the push-button switch 11 is of a two-stage type in which two-stage switching is performed, and a mode switching signal for slowing the movement of the cursor 30 is generated in the previous stage.
The case where the select signal for selecting the menu is generated in the latter stage has been described. However, a multi-stage push button switch in which three or more stages of switches are switched is used, and the mode switching in which the resolution is sequentially reduced by the switching action on the front side of the push button switch. It is also possible to generate a signal and generate the select signal in the final stage switching operation.

[Effect of device]

As described above, according to the present invention, the amount of movement of the cursor with respect to the amount of rotation of the ball changes depending on the switching operation on the front side of the multi-stage push button switch operated by the pressing operation of the ball, so that a small diameter Despite the ball, the cursor can be delicately controlled with a small rotation of the ball, and the menu is selected by the final-stage switching operation of the multi-stage pushbutton switch that is operated by further pressing the ball. Therefore, it is possible to realize a track ball that is suitable for downsizing and has excellent operability.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 6 relate to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a track ball, FIG.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a stored state of the biasing ball, FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the push button switch, FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a positional relationship among the ball, the roller and the biasing ball, and FIG. 6 is a display screen. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the movement of the cursor in FIG. 7, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a conventional track ball. 1 ... Circular hole, 2 ... Top plate, 3 ... Housing, 4 ... Ball,
5,6 ...... Roller (rotating body), 7,8 ...... Detector, 9 ...... Biasing ball, 10 ...... Small sphere, 11 ...... Push button switch, 12 ...... Concave, 13 ...... Insertion hole, 14 ...... Coil spring, 15 ...... Protrusion, 16
...... Center contact, 17 ...... First fixed contact, 18 ...... Second fixed contact, 19 ...... Case, 20 ...... First movable contact, 21 ...... Second movable contact, 22 ...... Hole, 23 ...... Spacer, 24 …… Waterproof sheet, 25 …… Cover plate, 26 …… Center hole, 27 …… Terminal, 28 …… Printed circuit board, 29 …… Display, 30 …… Cursor.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Hideki Ito No.7 Yukiya Otsuka-cho, Ota-ku, Tokyo Alps Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Nobuko Hirano No.7 Yukiya-Otsuka-cho, Ota-ku, Tokyo Alp (56) References JP 61-80419 (JP, A) JP 59-68049 (JP, A) JP 63-175240 (JP, U)

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A housing having an opening, and a ball housed in the housing, a part of which protrudes from the opening.
By providing a pair of rotating bodies that are arranged so as to be at right angles to each other and that rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the balls, and a detection unit that detects the amount of rotation of these rotating bodies, by rotating the balls in an arbitrary direction In a track ball whose position is controlled by the cursor on the screen, a multi-stage pushbutton switch is provided that switches between multiple stages by moving the ball in the vertical direction.By the switching operation on the front side of this pushbutton switch, , A mode switching signal for lowering the resolution of the detection signal output from the detection unit is generated, and a selection signal for selecting a menu corresponding to the position of the cursor is generated by the final switching operation. Trackball to be.